When the Wisconsin team, which will make its United States Hockey League debut in 2014-15, went to work on building its roster, it singled out several of the top Garden State prospects to build around.

With its third round selection, 39th overall, the Capitols selected Bergen Catholic center Evan Wisocky (Paramus) before taking St. Peter's Prep winger Augie Burkhardt (Lyndhurst) in the sixth round, 87th overall. It then looked to former Delbarton defenseman Brendan Less (Kinnelon) of the Long Island Gulls in the eighth round, 128th overall during Phase One of the USHL Futures Draft last month.

In Phase Two, Madison made headlines again by selecting Christian Brothers forward and Star-Ledger Second Team All-State winger Bobby Hampton (Middletown) with its fourth pick, 63rd overall, before taking a shot at The Star-Ledger Player of the Year, Alex Whelan of Ramsey, in the 14th round at 223rd overall.

Alex Whelan, Ramsey (Tony Kurdzuk/For The Star-Ledger)

Whelan registered 43 goals and 37 points while leading Ramsey to the NJSIAA finals this past season, where it ultimately fell to Morristown. With 96 goals and 184 points in his three-year career at Ramsey, Whelan has produced some highlight reel goals, but looks to return his senior season. The USPHL's U-16 Most Valuable Player, Whelan, who also skates with the NJ Hitmen, has committed to Quinnipiac. Still, with tryouts weeks away, he does have the option.

The biggest news coming out of the 2014 USHL draft was the third overall selection of Toms River native and New Jersey Rockets defenseman Cam Dineen by the Tri-City Storm.

Dineen, who was also selected by the North Bay Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League in the 2014 OHL draft, has several options, one of which includes Yale to whom he has committed to in 2016-17. After scoring 25 points in 43 games for the New Jersey Rockets, Dineen tried out for the United States National Team Development Program (NTDP).

"Even though he didn't make the team, he is still just a '98 (birth year)," Bob Thornton, New Jersey Rockets head coach and Director of Hockey Operations, said of the heralded 15-year old. "He is the highest-ever draft pick from the Mid-Atlantic region that I can recall.

Cam Dineen (Courtesy of Charles O'Brien)

"Along with Chad Krys (Ridgefield, Ct.), there may have not been a better U-18 duo of defensive partners in the country," Thornton said.

The New Jersey Rockets, one of the premier junior programs in the state, saw several more of its players drafted in the later rounds including A.J. Drobot (Churchville, Pa.), the younger brother of two-time Star-Ledger girl's ice hockey Player of the Year, Amanda Drobot of Lawrenceville.

Gottlieb left the Rockets for the Bonnyville Pontiacs of the Alberta Junior Hockey League before Muskegon added him to its arsenal. Svistunov skated for the Rockets U-18AAA team before Des Moines took the Russian. All told, the Rockets organization, which skates out of The Prudential Center in Newark, played a role in at least nine USHL selections at the 2014 draft.

If two of the names look familiar, Colton was a standout forward at Princeton Day, while Dicesare saw time on the blue line with Morristown-Beard as a sophomore.

St. Peter's Prep coach Mike Goodrich was not surprised by the Capitols' selection of Burkhardt, a standout winger who earned Third Team All-Non-Public and Third Team All-North Jersey honors from The Star-Ledger after scoring 14 goals and 23 assists for his Jersey City school this past season.

"Augie is a tremendous player," Goodrich, who led St. Peter's to a 11-8-3 finish in 2013-14, said. "We have been speaking with several Division-I coaches about him. He is a hard worker who is always trying to get better. He will continue to improve."

Chad Otterman, a bruising First Team All-State selection who just completed his senior season with 24 goals and 42 points at Delbarton, has Cornell on his short list, though, he was listed among Central Scouting Services' North American skaters to watch for in the 2014 NHL draft. A pro club may be willing to take a shot at developing the power forward. Des Moines threw its hat in the ring on the Harding Township native when it selected him in the 10th round of the USHL draft, 155th overall.

Another high school standout who has risen quickly up the ranks is Freehold Township defenseman Zach Berzolla. A Second Team All-Shore selection by The Star-Ledger this past season, Berzolla was drafted by Muskegon (12th, 190th overall) and by Sudbury in the 13th round of the OHL draft. As a sophomore, Berzolla collected 10 goals and 35 points while also skating for the NJDYN.

Another notable selection with ties to New Jersey is Dante Palecco of Whippany. The left winger, who has also committed to Yale, was taken in the first round, 15th overall, by the Muskegon Lumberjacks, whom gained local notoriety after taking Morris County Player of the Year, Grant Jozefek, in last season's draft. Palecco came up with the North Jersey Avalanche.

Sam Field and Shaun Bily are another pair of New Jersey skaters who were selected in both the USHL and OHL drafts.

Field, a Tenafly native skating for Choate Rosemary Hall in Connecticut, was taken by both the the Lincoln Stars of the USHL (fifth round, 68th) and the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL in the sixth round, 102nd overall, in the Ontario Hockey League draft.

Bily is native of Doylestown, Pa. who's skated with the NJ Titans. He was highly regarded by the Erie Otters of the OHL who made the center its third round pick, 45th overall. Bily was also taken by Cedar Rapids in the fifth round of the USHL draft, 75th overall.

Other NJ notables include: Jacob Paganelli, a defenseman from Verona who has skated with Shattuck St. Mary's in Minnesota as well as the New Jersey Devils Youth National Team (third round, 55th overall by Bloomington); Brandon Crawley, a defenseman from Glen Rock who has skated with the New Jersey Wildcats (fifth round, 83rd overall by Green Bay); Mark Petaccio, a right winger who hails from Sicklerville with a little more experience than most. At 20-years old, Petaccio has shuffled between Oshawa, Ottawa and Sault Ste. Marie. Tri-City took him with its fifth round pick, 86th overall; Ryan Walker, a forward from Spotswood who's committed to Union (N.Y.). The former NJ Titans prospect was selected in the sixth round, 102nd overall by Sioux City; Ryan O'Connor, a defenseman from Morristown who has been fine tuning his skills with Shattuck St. Mary's (Minn.) (11th round, 180th overall by Sioux Falls); Cameron Klein, an Alpine, NJ native with ties to the NJ Titans (12th round, 189th overall by Chicago); Marcus Dickerson, a right winger from the Selects, was drafted by Mississauga. The West Deptford native was taken in the 12th round of the OHL draft.